Kept by Shawntelle Madison Review/Interview/Giveaway

Summary: Our favorite OCD werewolf, Natalya  is back. She is training hard to compete to get back into the pack. In her pack, in order to join the pack the person has to win a competition of endurance, skill, and strength. Her brother was supposed to train her, but he is mysteriously busy. So Thorn agrees to train her in his place. If you read the first book already, you should know how awkward that would be. Thorn is her ex boyfriend, who has moved back into town not too long ago. He is know engaged to another werewolf in the pack. His father forced the engagement. So does her brother have ulterior motives? Maybe.

During this time her father goes missing. So this halts her training as the family begins to search for him. During his younger days he used to work for the mafia in order to keep the family afloat. Now he has a moon debt to pay. Her father becomes incapacitated. So she has to repay the debt in his stead. So she ventures out on to the road with only a dirty garbage truck to deliver something in the back. She has no idea what the back contains, but there are some people or creatures that want it back really badly. She has to use the help of Nick and her friends from the support group in order to survive this adventure.

Here is a link to my Coveted Review

Review: I liked Natalya in the last book; I loved her in this book. She is more assertive, and she even stands up to Thorn. She has more fight in this novel. I love that she is growing more into herself. She is becoming pretty kick-ass. I can't wait for more novels in this series to see how she continues to grow.

I think Nick basically cements himself even more as my favorite guy in this series. I can't help it. He is always there when she needs him, and he is so sweet.

Thorn reveals more about what happened to him while he always, and we get to learn why he came back. It brings a lot more understanding to this situation. He is still not my favorite though.

Overall, the story was in constant motion. It had a decent amount of action. It had less world building, because most of the world was built in the first novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. I could not put it down once I started it.

FTC: This book was provided to me by Netgalley for an honest review.

Interview:

1. What inspired your book?

My heroine, Natalya, came from an article I read in a physician’s magazine. The article was about obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD) and went into the symptoms, treatments plans, and medication involved. I asked myself what would happen if a werewolf had OCD? How would that alter her pack relationships? From that point, conflicts came out of nowhere and I had a story: Coveted.

2. What inspired your characters, were they based off anything in real life?

None of my characters were inspired from real people. Thank goodness—in a way. I sure would like to have a babuska like Grandma Stravinsky. Can Natalya’s mother come cook dinner at my house?

3. What other books have you written?

Coveted is my first published book. I have some stories hiding under my bed though that will likely never see the light of day.

4. If you could only keep 5 books because of some world ending event, which would you keep?

Such an evil question! Wow. This is hard. Imajica by Clive Barker. The three books in the Xenogenesis Series by Octavia Butler, and finally any of LaVryle Spencer’s books. That was ridiculously hard since I’ve read so many fabulous books.

5. What authors would you recommend?

Another hard question. I’d take a look at the authors above definitely. They’ve shaped how I read books. But I’d also look for books by new authors. There are the classics of course, but I love books that take a new spin on things.

6. What is your favorite food?

I’ve yet to encounter a French silk pie I didn’t like.

7. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I miss living near the ocean. Anywhere near the ocean would be nice. But in all honesty, my favorite place is where I’m close to family and friends. A nice ocean view sure is lonely without someone to share it with.

8. What are your favorite genres?

I’ll take any book that hooks me with a great voice and a hook. But I tend to read a lot of urban fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary romance.

9. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Never, ever, give up. Be prepared to think outside of the box. Editors are tired of seeing the same thing over and over again. Ask yourself for any plot, how can you twist it. The tropes can be there naturally, but how can you make a character unique, such that their experiences create an engaging story?

10. What is the best advice you have ever gotten?

The hardest thing about being a writer is writing. (Which is probably why I like the editing part of writing versus the first draft.)

Thanks so much for having me! Great questions. Once I finish this interview I will pack away those five books for either the Mayan or zombie apocalypse. Whichever one comes first.

Kept comes out November 27th. Put it on your to-read list now!! One day I will own both in paperback..one day...

Coveted:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes n Noble

Kept:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes n Noble

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